Agapanthus plant named ‘Hanneke’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Agapanthus  named ‘Hanneke’, characterized by its mid to late season blooming habit, its full flower heads of dark purple flowers that are held semi pendulous from pedicels, its tall plant height, and its usefulness as a cut flower for its long stems.

Botanical classification: Agapanthus praecox.

Varietal denomination: ‘Hanneke’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Agapanthus praecox and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Hanneke’. ‘Hanneke’ represents a new perennial herb grown for landscape and cut flower use.

The new Agapanthus originated as the result of an on going breeding program in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa. The goal of the breeding program was to produce a cultivar of Agapanthus that is tall in height and useful as a cut flower.

‘Hanneke’ originated as a seedling that arose from seed planted from open pollination of an unnamed plant of Agapanthus praecox from the Inventor's breeding program in 2002. The male parent is unknown. The new Agapanthus was selected as a single unique plant in December of 2004.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by in vitro propagation under the direction of the Inventor in December of 2005 in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture has determined that the characteristics of this cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. The characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Hanneke’ as a distinct cultivar of Agapanthus.

-   -   1. ‘Hanneke’ exhibits a mid to late season blooming habit.     -   2. ‘Hanneke’ exhibits full flower heads of dark purple flowers         that are held semi pendulous from pedicels.     -   3. ‘Hanneke’ exhibits a tall plant height.     -   4. ‘Hanneke’ is useful as a cut flower for its long stems.

The female parent differs from ‘Hanneke’ in having flowers that are lighter in color, in blooming earlier, and in having a shorter plant height. ‘Hanneke’ can be compared to the cultivars ‘Peter Pan’ (not patented) and ‘Snowball’ (not patented). ‘Peter Pan’ is similar to ‘Hanneke’ in being evergreen and in flower form, but ‘Peter Pan’ differs from ‘Hanneke’ in being shorter in plant height with shorter stems, and in having flowers that are blue in color. ‘Snowball’ is similar to ‘Hanneke’ in being evergreen and in having full flower heads. ‘Snowball’ differs from ‘Hanneke’ in having white flowers and a shorter plant height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new Agapanthus. The photographs were taken of a three year-old plant of ‘Hanneke’ as field grown outdoors in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of ‘Hanneke’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Hanneke’. The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized and color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new Agapanthus.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The general observations and descriptions describe plants about two year-old in age as grown outdoors under field conditions in Cape Town, Republic of South Africa. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determinations are in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—4 to 6 weeks in mid summer in Cape Town,             Republic of South Africa.         -   Plant type.—Evergreen perennial herb.         -   Plant habit.—Upright with cascading foliage.         -   Height and spread.—Reaches a height of about 110 cm in bloom             and a spread of about 50 cm.         -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 8.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed.         -   Root description.—Fleshy main roots and fibrous secondary             roots.         -   Propagation.—Tissue culture and division.         -   Root development.—A division will root and finish in a             6-inch container in about 90 days at 25° C. with high light             intensity.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.         -   Leaf arrangement.—2-ranked, in rosette.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute.         -   Leaf aspect.—Emerging leaves erect, then cascade.         -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, color matches leaf coloration.         -   Leaf margin.—Entire.         -   Leaf size.—Average of 45 cm in length and 3.5 cm in width.         -   Leaf surface.—Glabrous, slightly glossy.         -   Leaf substance.—Thick and leathery, moderate to high             durability to stress.         -   Leaf number.—Average of 14 per rosette.         -   Leaf color.—Young leaves, upper surface; Green 137D young             leaves, lower surface; Green 137D, mature leaves, upper             surface; Green 137C and Green 137C near base, mature leaves,             lower surface; Green 196D and Green 196D near base.         -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile to crown. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Simple umbel.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Flower type.—Campanulate.         -   Flower number.—Full flower heads; an average of about 70             flowers per umbel, one umbel per peduncle and one peduncle             per rosette.         -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 12 cm in depth and 13 cm in             diameter.         -   Flower size.—About 4 cm in depth and 1.2 cm in width.         -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 50 days.         -   Longevity as a cut flower.—About 1 week.         -   Flower aspect.—Held semi pendulous from pedicel.         -   Peduncle (flower stem).—Strong, somewhat flattened, held             erect, average of 90 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width at             distal region and 16 mm in width at proximal region, surface             is glabrous, color Yellow-Green 144C.         -   Pedicels.—Strong, average of 3.8 cm in length and 1 mm in             width, held erect to outward, color Green 139A surface is             glabrous.         -   Flower buds.—Obovate in shape, average of 1.5 cm in length             and 3 mm in width, color Violet Blue 95A.         -   Tepals.—6, narrow obovate in shape, entire margin, glabrous             texture, acute apex, average of 2.5 cm in length and 3 mm in             width, color when young inner surface; Violet Blue 89D,             color when young outer surface; Violet Blue 89B, color             mature inner surface; Violet Blue 89C color mature outer             surface; Violet Blue 95A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, average of 1.6 cm in length, stigma is             narrow clavate in shape and White in color, style is about 2             cm in length and Violet Blue 91A in color, ovary is             Yellow-Green 149D in color.         -   Androecium.—6 stamens, anthers are dorsified, oblong in             shape, average of 2 mm in length, and Violet Blue 90B in             color, filament is 17 mm in length, pollen is low in             quantity and Black 202A in color.         -   Fruit/seed.—Have not been observed. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Agapanthus plant named ‘Hanneke’ as herein illustrated and described. 